a Western Governors University graduate!

Congratulations to Justin upon receiving his Masters in Business Administration!! It was a very proud moment for all of us to watch you graduate on Saturday! Justin was featured in a WGU news letter, click here to read! (scroll down to page 2!) Way to go Justin!

Caitlin, Will and Brinley were all very good during the graduation, I was on my best behavior as well!

Mama T and Justin

Just so happened Lindsey was working that day (were the graduation took place!) and was able to sneak away to see her bro graduate! It was fun to be with you Linds...thanks for the support!

It was cool to have my dad there representing the Adams family. Glad you could make it Papa!

Nana, Justin and Papa!

(Daddy Dave was here too... Just wanted to say Thank You for coming and showing Justin your love! You are awesome!)
We enjoyed some yummy treats after the graduation. This picture made me laugh, Justin looks like he's doing a Stevie Wonder impersonation...

These next few pictures were taken before the graduation. Waiting for the shuttle. Cute kids, they clean up nice don't they.(Ahh, they still managed to find mud...)This was one shuttle ride to remember... it felt like Mr. Toads Wild Ride at Disneyland! Will loved it!

These next few pictures I took of Justin while he was making a video for his capstone project... I thought they were so cute!

His diploma actually arrived in March... (They only hold commencement every 6 months.) Receiving his diploma...(viva mail box.)

Ooo. Perrrdy...

Here it is framed and on his wall at work... next to his SVU diploma! His graduation gift to himself: frame diplomas, a massage and some new bike accessories... and well deserved I might say!

... and while we are at it... I'd thought I'd share the view from his window at work... cool huh?

Congrats Honey...do I hear a PhD knocking on our future door?? :) Love it, LOVE you!

4 Generations!

Blessing Day...

Brinley Jayne

Before I took this picture, I said to my Grandma... "Look your baby is holding my baby!" She thought that was pretty special!

ZZZZzzzzz...

Of all the many places Will has fallen asleep... this one has to be my favorite!

I love you, my tender little man!

Bag for Jolynn

Happy Birthday Brother Kevin

You Da Man... Thanks for being so cool, and funny and never smiling in any pictures... deep down in side we know you are grinning like a 2 year old who's just gotten into his mommies' make up bag... and smeared lip sick all over his face. So proud of all of your accomplishments... especially the lipstick.

Happy 4th of July!!

Caitlin and Brinley. This is actually Brinley's second "4th of July outfit" of the day. A bomb went off in her diaper this morning... yeah... so that one's in the wash right now. Good thing for back ups.

...and I really don't know what Will's problem was in this picture... maybe these were tears of gratitude and joy for the freedoms and opportunities we have in this fine country! Love your patriotism Will!

Pepper is sporting a new summer do... along with a dog bone bandanna. What a happy dog!

Spending 4th with Papa! :)

Pies! Pies! Pies!

Rhubarb Pie Filling:
this is more of an eye ball recipe...

1. start out with 6-8 stalks of rhubarb. (wash, clean)cut in 2 inch pieces.
2. place in deep pot. Put just enough water to simmer. (guestamation 2-3 cups.)
3. sprinkle with sugar (about 2 T)
4. sprinkle with corn starch (about 2 T)
5. simmer on med/low for 45 min. stirring often. (do not burn)
6. add flour to thinken sauce. about 1/4 c - 1/2 c.
7. taste. should be tart yet sweet... add more sugar if desired, (not too much. crust will be sweet, and the contrast between that and the tart is SO perfectly delicious.)
8. pour in prepared pie crust.

Extra Flaky Pie Crust: (this is the BEST pie crust. and of course, goes well with any type of pie... like this one.)
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 T sugar
3/4 cup solid shortening (butter flavored)
1/4 cup ice water
1 egg
1 T vinegar

1. Sift together flour, salt and sugar; cut shortening into flour mixture.
2. In a small bowl, beat together ice water, egg and vinegar. One tablespoon at a time, sprinkle liquid mixture over flour mixture and fluff with fork as you go.
3. Cover and chill while preparing pie filling.
4. Divide prepared pastry in half, roll out one half on a floured surface; line a 9" pie plate; pour in pie filling. Top filling with chilled butter- divide it into 6 or 7 pieces.
5. Roll out other half of pastry; place over pie; seal and crimp. Brush surface of crust with beaten mixture of 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Dust top with sugar after it comes out of the oven, cool on rack for at least 2 hours, before serving, to allow it to solidify!

We gave the kids some pie dough... they LOVED making a mess...they were supposed to be making their own pies... but we didn't get that far.
Will was making it 'snow' on his train cookie cutter.

Papa's pie!

Happy Birthday to my amazing sister AMY!!!

Love you and miss you SO much.

Hope your day is perfect!

Big Baby

Happy 8 Weeks Brinley!!

Love the outfit, Bee ...Tennis anyone?

Updates...

Friday we had some awesome extreme weather again (P.S. I'm lovin' it.) and after there was this beautiful (but faint) double rainbow.

Saturday we were back at it with house projects. Nothing sexier than watching your husband do fix-it work on the rain gutters. Go Honey!! Work dat tool belt.

Caitlin and Will "helping out"
And... (my Dad)Papa came to visit!! YIPPEE! all the way from PA!


and Great Auntie Clink. We went and had lunch and then drove them up to the Cracroft Family Cabin... it was a fun day!

This is the latest "baby-must-have". This wrap was a gift from Justin's cousin Chris (and Trisha.) It's called 'Swaddle Me'... It helps the little one stay wrapped and it helped my little one sleep 6 hours one night! YES! She loves being a little Eskimo...

Sunday we made the most fabulous Tin Foil Dinner in the history of outdoor cooking...

Super YUM!

Cut the following into bite sized pieces:

Chicken

Red Potatoes

Fresh Green Beans

Red Bell Pepper

Toss veggies with 1-2 Tbs oilve oil, salt and pepper (in Ziploc bag.) On heavy tin foil, layer potatoes first, then chicken then beans and peppers , double wrap. Place on hot coals. Rotate 90 degrees every 5 minutes and flip ever 15 minutes for an hour.

Drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Mmm.

Ahh. I love summer for this reason... above
Monday night we worked in our garden. The kids loved playing in the dirt. Justin and I picked weeds, planted tomatoes and transplanted some beautiful yellow daises into our flower garden. Then we picked these gorgeous blackberries. Perfect breakfast with grapenuts cereal and milk!

Tonight
Caitlin helped make the most perfect chocolate chip cookies ever... for recipe go HERE.

Good times. Having fun. Love Summer.

Funny

Married Ladies Survey

This is kind of like the 25 things - except they are pre-decided questions and it's about you and your spouse, not just you. Come on, play along - inquiring minds want to know! ;-) (note: i got this from my Sister-in-law SHELLY on facebook... but could not find my 'notes' yeah... i'm not very computer savvy... so i decided to post it on my blog. this i CAN do. ha.)

♥ What are your middle names? Kathleen and David

[heart] Pet names for each other? He calls me 'Spunky Love Muffin', I call him 'Hunk-a-Hunk of Burning Love'...

♥ How long have you been together? love at first sight on October 8, 2000.... known each other 9 years, married for 7 years on Aug. 16

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? few weeks maybe...

♥ Who asked who out? well, our first 'date' was a double date... and my friend put the idea in his head... but technically... I asked him out... or rather told him I was VERY interested.

♥ How old are each of you? A-27, J-32

♥ Whose siblings do/did you see the most? his

♥ Do you have any children together? yes, 3 beautiful children. Caitlin 4, Will 3, Brinley 2 months

♥ What about pets? Names? yes. Black Yorkie-Poo named Pepper, gold fish named Nemo/Chloe (depends on the day.)

♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? ha. going to church. Justin's in the bishop brick and watches me from the stand while I wrestle three kids. :) it's really not so bad. (I'm just glad the dog doesn't go to church.)

♥ Did you go to the same school? same college. yup

♥ Are you from the same home town? Nope. Justin grew up in Salt Lake City, I grew up in Lititz, PA

♥ Who is the smartest? Justin

♥ Who is the most sensitive? Haha. we both are.

♥Where do you eat out most as a couple? we love Mexican food. Cafe Rio, Chipotle, homemade tacos... Mmm.

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Well, i guess that depends on where you start out... in college we drove from Buena Vista, VA to Georgia... that took forever, because we were in the school vans... we've been to New York, Washington, So. CA... Ohh. i almost forgot... Rocky Point, MEXICO... yeah that's the furthest we've traveled. :)

♥ Who has the craziest exes? What? what a weird question.

♥ Who has the worst temper? probably me.

♥ Who does the cooking? me, but Thursday's Justin's night!! he's a great cook!

♥ Who is more social? Justin's not afraid to go out and talk to anyone... even a perfect stranger. I tend to get tongue tied when i talk to people... or I'll have conversations in my head after we talk... like. duh... i should have asked them this... or that... i try to involve my self in different groups to get 'out' and work on my 'social skills' but I'm happy just smiling and nodding... Justin usually takes the steering wheel in conversations. hum. that was a long answer. sorry.

♥ Who is the neat-freak? We both are... but we have out moments.

♥ Who is the more stubborn? ha... we both have our moments there too, Justin's more a red personality and usually has things set in his mind... I'm a yellow... or white or was it blue...? haha. not sure... but i can be pretty firm in my ideas too.

♥ Who hogs the bed? ha. prob me! Justin's always right on the edge of the bed... I'm surprised he's never fallen off.

♥ Who wakes up earlier? JUSTIN! I'd sleep till noon if i didn't have kids. well, maybe not noon... but 9 or 10

[heart] Where was your first date? first double date: Dairy Queen... First ALONE date... WAL-MART! and then to the parkway... hehe.

♥ Who has the bigger family? equal, 2 parents 4 sibs...but if you count brother and sister in-laws... i have the bigger family. (yes i win!)

♥ Do you get flowers often? not as often as I'd like. but I'd prefer 'permanent' flowers... to plant in my yard... rather than cut ones. the kids that keep giving :)

♥ How do you spend the holidays? one plus to having your husband work at a bank... BANK HOLIDAYS!!! yes. we love those unexpected Mondays off... :) we enjoy each others company with children... usually we do 'home improvements' or go to the cabin... or fly to PA to be with my family.

♥ Who is more jealous? ME! I get jealous so easy... (it's gotten better over time...)

♥ How long did it take to get serious? um.... 2 weeks. Justin might say different... but that's when we said 'I love you'... i was ready to get married then!

♥ Who eats more? we are both pretty good about managing our portions...

[heart]Who does/did the laundry? we both do... but mostly me. (and Nana! love you!)

♥ Who’s better with the computer? Justin's a computer Wiz. i know how to turn it on... and email.

♥ Who drives when you are together? I like it when he drives.

... And if you've actually read all this... TAG YOUR IT!